Apple Sued For No ‘Lock-Out’ Mechanism To Disable iPhone Functionality While Driving

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Apple by a California resident named Julio Caje. The lawsuit accuses Apple of putting drivers’ safety ast risk by not implementing a ‘Lock-Out’ mechanism. This mechanism would basically hinder a driver from using an iPhone by disabling its functionality. Let’s see some more details on the subject.

Apple Accused Of Not Implementing ‘Lock-Out’ Mechanism In iPhones For Driver’s Safety

As per Caje, the company should stop selling iPhones in California until or unless it implements a ‘Lock-Out’ mechanism. In addition to this, the resident also demands Apple to release an update carrying the lock-out mechanism so users who already have an iPhone can benefit from it. The purpose of this lawsuit is fairly simple. This will directly halt all activities like texting while driving, whereby reducing the risks of potential dangers.

The accusation was filed on Tuesday to the Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday. Ceja states that Apple’s gigantic market share of the smartphone industry indicates that it is the ‘largest contributor’ to texting and driving. He also noted that companies like Apple “do nothing to help shield the public at large from the dangers associated with the use of their phones.”

It’s not like Apple is unaware of the whole texting and driving scenario. In fact the company is fully aware of all the dangers associated with it as it had previously filed a patent in 2008 that reflected the lock-out mechanism and was published back in 2014. The patent described a method by which the mechanism could work with a motion analyzer. The motion analyzer would detect a handheld device moving beyond a specific speed, whereby disabling the device and halting specific functionality. Moreover, a scenery analyzer would detect if a user is located in the safe region of the vehicle.

Other possible solution to the accusation includes the car key transmitting signals which would in tern disable the device. The same operation can be implemented in the case of the vehicle itself. This is not the first time that Apple is accused of such an issue. In a Texas lawsuit which was filed back in 2015, Apple responded with a statement provided to New York Times, stating:

“We discourage anyone from allowing their iPhone to distract them by typing, reading or interacting with the display while driving,” Apple said. “For those customers who do not wish to turn off their iPhones or switch into Airplane Mode while driving to avoid distractions, we recommend the easy-to-use Do Not Disturb and Silent Mode features.”

While Apple left safety matters in the hands of users, the recent accusation is up to the court to judge. At this point in time, Apple has not spoken on the lawsuit. Probably we will hear more about it in the future, so do stay tuned for that.

As for now, what are your thoughts on the class action lawsuit filed by Julio Ceja? Should Apple implement a ‘Lock-Out’ mechanism in the iPhone? Share your thoughts in the comments.